53221 ZIP Code — Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
ZIP code 53221 is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, within Milwaukee County. It covers approximately 9.01 square miles and serves a population of 39,066 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 414.
About ZIP code 53221
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $186,900. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 57%.
Median household income is $57,143. 31% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 25% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
39,066
population
9.01
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
53221 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 53221
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 53221. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee | Acceptable |
| Milwaukee | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
53220 Milwaukee (2.5 mi)
53129 Greendale (2.9 mi)
53207 Milwaukee (3.1 mi)
53215 Milwaukee (3.6 mi)
53219 Milwaukee (4 mi)
53235 Saint Francis (4 mi)
53110 Cudahy (4 mi)
53204 Milwaukee (4.8 mi)
53172 South Milwaukee (5 mi)
53228 Milwaukee (5.1 mi)
53130 Hales Corners (5.3 mi)
53154 Oak Creek (5.3 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 39,066 |
| Population density | 4,336 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 55 |
| County FIPS | 079 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 9.01 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.01 sq mi |
| Latitude | 42.9512 |
| Longitude | -87.9445 |
| Timezone | Central (CT) |
| Area code | 414 |
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics
updated 05/2026
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 48.0% | 48.0% | 39.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 32.2% | 30.2% | 33.0% |
| $100k – $200k | 17.1% | 17.8% | 22.4% |
| Over $200k | 2.7% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
Demographics & statistics
39,066
Population
4,336
People per sq mi
38.7
Median age
$57,143
Median household income
$32,627
Per capita income
$186,900
Median home value
$1,029
Median monthly rent
56.8%
Home ownership
14.7%
Poverty rate
4.2%
Unemployment
10,220
Housing units
25.4%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
1,279
Under 5
1,350
1,370
5–9
1,446
1,133
10–14
1,197
1,061
15–19
1,121
872
20–24
920
2,693
25–34
2,843
2,493
35–44
2,633
2,489
45–54
2,629
1,286
55–59
1,359
1,270
60–64
1,342
1,795
65–74
1,896
854
75–84
902
405
85+
428
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 9,103 | 23.3% |
| 18 and over | 29,963 | 76.7% |
| 65 and over | 6,280 | 16.1% |
| Median age | 38.7 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
56.6%
Hispanic or Latino
13%
Two or more races
10.2%
Other race
7.1%
Asian
7%
Black or African American
5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.4%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 25,408 | 56.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5,844 | 13% |
| Two or more races | 4,574 | 10.2% |
| Other race | 3,204 | 7.1% |
| Asian | 3,157 | 7% |
| Black or African American | 2,530 | 5.6% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 193 | 0.4% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 48.0% | 48.0% | 39.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 32.2% | 30.2% | 33.0% |
| $100k – $200k | 17.1% | 17.8% | 22.4% |
| Over $200k | 2.7% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
Under $10k
4.9%
$10k–$15k
2.9%
$15k–$25k
7.9%
$25k–$35k
12.3%
$35k–$50k
14.4%
$50k–$75k
20.5%
$75k–$100k
13.7%
$100k–$150k
13.9%
$150k–$200k
5.3%
$200k+
4.3%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 4.9% |
| $10k–$15k | 2.9% |
| $15k–$25k | 7.9% |
| $25k–$35k | 12.3% |
| $35k–$50k | 14.4% |
| $50k–$75k | 20.5% |
| $75k–$100k | 13.7% |
| $100k–$150k | 13.9% |
| $150k–$200k | 5.3% |
| $200k+ | 4.3% |
| Median income | $57,143 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
7.5%
$50k–$100k
6.1%
$100k–$150k
16.6%
$150k–$200k
25.1%
$200k–$300k
33.7%
$300k–$500k
9.5%
$500k–$1M
1.5%
$1M+
0.1%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $186,900 |
| Median rent / month | $1,029 |
| Owner occupied | 56.8% |
| Renter occupied | 43.2% |
| Vacant | 4.9% |
| Single-family detached | 47.8% |
| Large apartment buildings | 11.3% |
| Mobile homes | 2.5% |
| Median rooms | 5.0 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.55 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.0% |
| 2010–2019 | 1.4% |
| 2000–2009 | 4.8% |
| 1990–1999 | 5.9% |
| 1980–1989 | 8.6% |
| 1970–1979 | 21.9% |
| 1960–1969 | 21.8% |
| 1950–1959 | 19.7% |
| 1940–1949 | 7.4% |
| 1939 or earlier | 8.5% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | 13.7% |
| 2 bedrooms | 35.6% |
| 3 bedrooms | 40.4% |
| 4 bedrooms | 8.0% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 0.8% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 8.0% |
| 1 vehicle | 40.3% |
| 2 vehicles | 39.9% |
| 3 or more | 11.9% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 84.0% |
| Electricity | 12.9% |
| Propane / LP gas | 1.2% |
| Fuel oil | 0.4% |
| Wood | 0.2% |
| Solar | 0.1% |
| No fuel used | 0.8% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 6,761 | 41.0% |
| Cohabiting couple | 1,074 | 6.5% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 3,283 | 19.9% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 5,382 | 32.6% |
| Households with children under 18 | 4,778 | 29.0% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 4,758 | 28.8% |
| Average household size | 2.35 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 36.7% | 31.6% |
| Married | 47.7% | 40.4% |
| Separated | 0.8% | 2.0% |
| Widowed | 3.3% | 9.3% |
| Divorced | 11.5% | 16.7% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
6.0%
Some HS, no diploma
7.2%
HS graduate
32.2%
Some college, no degree
20.7%
Associate's degree
8.5%
Bachelor's degree
17.5%
Graduate / professional
7.9%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 86.8% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 25.4% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 239 | 2.8% |
| Kindergarten | 839 | 9.7% |
| Elementary school | 4,166 | 48.1% |
| High school | 1,869 | 21.6% |
| College / grad school | 1,549 | 17.9% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
20.4%
Manufacturing
19.1%
Retail trade
14.5%
Transportation & utilities
9.6%
Professional & management
9.2%
Arts, food & hospitality
6.9%
Finance & real estate
6.1%
Construction
4.0%
Other services
3.9%
Public administration
3.0%
Wholesale trade
1.9%
Information
1.0%
Agriculture & mining
0.6%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 29.8% |
| Service | 15.3% |
| Sales & office | 22.0% |
| Natural resources & construction | 6.6% |
| Production & transportation | 26.3% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 85.8% |
| Government | 9.8% |
| Self-employed | 4.3% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.2% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 78.9% |
| Carpool | 9.3% |
| Public transit | 1.5% |
| Walk | 1.0% |
| Work from home | 7.0% |
| Other means | 2.3% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 23.6 |
Poverty
All people
14.7%
Under 18 years
19.3%
18 and over
13.2%
Married-couple families
11.5%
Female-led households
13.6%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 31.2% |
| Retirement income | 24.7% |
| Supplemental Security | 5.9% |
| Cash public assistance | 2.1% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 16.4% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 34.8% |
| High blood pressure | 31.8% |
| High cholesterol | 34.9% |
| Diabetes | 10.0% |
| Heart disease | 6.4% |
| Stroke | 3.2% |
| Asthma | 9.5% |
| Arthritis | 24.7% |
| Kidney disease | 3.1% |
| Pulmonary disease | 6.7% |
| Cancer | 6.9% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 18.7% |
| Binge drinking | 24.3% |
| No physical activity | 23.4% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 30.2% |
| Depression | 19.1% |
| Fair or poor health | 14.7% |
| Poor mental health | 13.8% |
| Poor physical health | 10.6% |
| No health insurance | 14.5% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 73.9% |
| Visited dentist | 67.4% |
| Cholesterol screening | 86.2% |
| Teeth loss | 13.5% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 1,919 | 6.4% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 12.8% |
| Under 18 | 3.7% |
| 18–64 years | 10.7% |
| 65 and over | 34.1% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 61.9% |
| Public insurance | 42.4% |
| No insurance | 7.9% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 2.8% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 36,437 | 93.3% |
| Spanish | 4,155 | 11.4% |
| Other Indo-European | 1,943 | 5.3% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 562 | 1.5% |
| Other languages | 737 | 2.0% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 31,915 | 81.7% |
| Born in same state | 30,705 | 78.6% |
| Born in different state | 26,858 | 68.8% |
| Foreign born | 1,210 | 3.1% |
| Naturalized citizen | 7,151 | 18.3% |
| Not a US citizen | 3,873 | 54.2% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 2,693 | 6.9% |
| French | 931 | 2.4% |
| Polish | 904 | 2.3% |
| Arab | 680 | 1.7% |
| English | 216 | 0.6% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch | 181 | 0.5% |
| German | 175 | 0.4% |
| Irish | 160 | 0.4% |
| Norwegian | 8 | 0% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 42.2% |
| Internet access | 91.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 53221
What city is ZIP code 53221 in?
ZIP code 53221 is primarily assigned to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
What county is ZIP code 53221 in?
ZIP code 53221 falls within Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 53221?
The median home value in ZIP code 53221 is $186,900.
What is the population of ZIP code 53221?
ZIP code 53221 has an estimated population of 39,066 residents, with a density of 4,336 people per square mile.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 53221?
The median household income in ZIP code 53221 is $57,143, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 53221 in?
ZIP code 53221 observes the CST timezone.